The Shaman and the Warrior
by Taylor-Maracle
Summary: Set three years after Season 5, a new evil is rising in the East. A descendant of Shimon Muran, Peter, has an obsession with Atem. When he uses a dark, evil ritual to bring him out of his 5,000 year slumber, Ishizu returns to warn our heroes of the impending danger. In order to prepare to fight this evil, she takes Joey and Kaiba to train them to protect the ones they truly love.
1. Chapter 1 Collecting

Prologue: Collecting

_Flesh of the deceased,_

_Blood of his kin,_

_Halfway done to the greatest sin._

_Shade of night,_

_Glory of the Morning,_

_Heed this here warning._

_Should ye fail,_

_Should ye succeed,_

_Prepare to pay for your misdeed._

-Shimon Muran's Manuscript of Pharaoh Atem, _The Curse of the Pharaoh_

* * *

><p>It was dark out. No one would see him slip silently into the tomb. The hot night wind would cover his tracks in the sand for him. The guards were completely clueless, those imbeciles. And that worked for him just fine.<p>

Shrouded in a sandy coloured cloak, thirty-two year old Peter Muran descended the stone steps into the Pharaoh's tomb. The Tomb of Atem, the greatest Pharaoh to rule Egypt, so says the History Channel.

The kindest ruler.

The most stunning.

He had an idea what Atem looked like, having found his descendant, Yugi Mutou. He couldn't believe it when he saw that it was the King of Games himself. But of course it was. The hair! The eyes! Oh, the eyes! Violet coloured, twinkling with laughter. And his trademark spiky, multi-coloured hair. No one could possibly miss him in a large crowd.

And the gentle demeanor, the kind smile. He hoped the Pharaoh had that smile.

He didn't have so bad a smile as well. Standing well over six feet, with long chestnut brown hair pulled into a ponytail and eyes to match. He was muscular, built "like a brick shithouse," as his nan would often say. He had chiseled features, and an unruly beard surrounding his face. He wasn't bad looking, but it wasn't enough to make his wife stay with him.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he concentrated on moving past the two guards posted outside of the tomb itself. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small noisemaker. He rolled it in the direction of the other side of the large room, and it settled in the dark corner. A few moments of silence, not a peep out of the guards, and the noisemaker went to work.

A shrill siren blared from the tiny box, startling the two men outside. They quickly ran over the dark corner, searching frantically for the small gray box. Peter darted from the corridor into the tomb. He had maybe, two minutes before the noisemaker shut off and the guards went back to their posts. No matter. The tomb was wide open for tourists to gape at. He reached in with a pocketknife and scraped 5,000-year-old mummified skin from the bones of his future beloved. He dropped it into a small vial and sealed it. Then he left the tomb as quickly and silently as he entered. In and out in less than a minute. He was proud of himself.

He was nearing the entrance when he heard the noisemaker suddenly cut out. Perfect timing. Before the two guards posted at the front of the pyramid housing the tomb itself knew what was happeneing, they both collapsed, dead. Blood poured from the punctures on their necks, and their final moments were that of pain and fear, and the face of their killer.

Peter Muran.

* * *

><p><strong>DUN DUN DUUUN! <strong> Hello there everyone! It is me! I am back, and with my first Yu-Gi-Oh! fanfiction. For those who don't know (which is all of you xD) I was computer-less for a long while, so if you are waiting for a new chapter to my Criminal Minds fic "**Truth or Dare**", wait no longer! ... Actually, wait just a bit longer. I'm in the middle of editing it. LOL. ^u^  
>Anyways, I hope you guys like this one, been thinking it all through, and I think it's gonna be good one. xD REVIEWS PLEASE?<p> 


	2. Chapter 2 Almost Complete

**Title:**** The Shaman and the International Spy**

**Pairing(s): **** Serfshipping (Atem x Joey)**

**Puppyshipping (Seto x Joey)**

**Rivalshipping (Seto x Yugi)**

**Warning(s): ****Swearing/Foul Language**

**Homo/Heterosexual Sexual Relations**

**TRIGGER WARNINGS: Contains mentions of drugs, alcohol, and suicide!**

**A/N: **Hello, Taylor here with the second chapter to TS&IS. Just wanted to give fair warning about these next few chapters, they do explain what happened to Yugi and the others after Atem regained his memories and went back to doing Pharaoh-y things. However, I go the "extreme" route, and there is gonna be some pretty nasty shit happening. I hope you all took the time to read the warnings, and **TRIGGER WARNINGS** above. They will be listed above each chapter, to help prepare you for the writing ahead. Please read them.

*end long ass Author's Note*

Chapter 2 [Almost Complete]

Having spent _hours_ wandering the various market stalls in the unforgiving heat of the Egyptian sun, Peter had finally found _nightshade [1]_ and _morning glory [2]_ branches. Nightshade was uncommon in the desert, forcing him out of his comfort zone in Cairo, to drive two and a half hours to Alexandria. Fortunately for him though, morning glory was found all along the Nile River.

His collection was almost complete. Sitting at his desk in his small two-bedroom apartment, he smiled to himself quite sinisterly. All he needed now was the last item on his list, mayhaps the most important ingredient.

_Blood of his kin._

He needed Yugi Mutou's blood to complete the ritual, and then Pharaoh Atem would be all his to enjoy.

The ritual needed to be completed on the next full moon. And by Peter's calculations, (he merely looked at his calendar, but it made him feel important to say calculations) the next full moon was in 18 days. More than enough time to fly to Domino City in Japan, find and stalk Yugi before taking his blood.

The only problem was how much blood did he need? The spell never specified the _amount_. It just stated that he needed it. Maybe he should just grab Yugi and take him back to Egypt with him. But that would require extra weeks of planning, and he didn't want to wait that long for his beloved Pharaoh. No, he would just kill Yugi and drain him of his blood, then board his private jet to sneak past customs –

Wait. That was it. He could fly his jet from his own airstrip, and land in a deserted airstrip near Domino. Perhaps, the_ old _Domino International. Then, he would only need to grab the kid, and take him to the plane, and then onwards to Egypt.

Peter smiled cruelly. It was a perfect plan, a foolproof plan. A monkey could do it. And he was no monkey.

Getting up from his desk to prepare for his flight, and pack the tools necessary for Yugi's capture.

* * *

><p>The bell to the Kame Game shop rang loudly in Solomon Mutou's ears, perking them up in excitement. <em>A customer!<em> It had been a while since someone had come in to buy something. Whether he liked it or not, the Duel Monsters' craze was fading. Placing his broom against the back wall, he turned to look at his newest customer.

It was a tall man, about mid-thirties, long brown hair pulled into what the kids today called a "man bun." His eyes glinted curiously under the shop's florescent lights, and Solomon noted that they seemed to match the color of his hair. He seemed well built, with muscles seemingly ready to burst from the gray flannel shirt he was wearing above dark blue jeans, faded at the knees.

Solomon smiled brightly. "Hello! Welcome to the Kame Game Shop, where we have all of your gaming needs! What can I do for you today, young man?"

The other male seemed uninterested in Solomon's obviously well rehearsed speech, and looked around. There were posters of Duel Monsters covering almost every inch of the shop's walls, above the tall shelves that housed the actual cards.

"Sir?" Solomon peered suspiciously at the young gentleman. Chestnut eyes swung back around to gaze at the kind, elderly man.

"Yes, I am looking for someone. His name is... well, rather unusual. I met him in a coffee shop earlier, and he said he'd meet me here. Wanted to show me some new and unusual cards that you had recently received. I think it was.. Yuri.. no, that can't be it. Yagi, maybe?"

Solomon's eyes widened a bit. "_Yugi_, perhaps?"

The gentleman snapped his fingers in obvious excitement. "Yes! That's it! Yugi! Is he here yet?"

Solomon smiled. "No, not yet. But you are welcome to wait in the parlor. Any friend of Yugi's is a friend of mine. I'm surprised he went out and made one. He usually just takes a walk around the pier, mourning the loss of the Phar– I mean, his best friend. He passed away, you see." Quickly, the elderly man clamped his mouth shut, afraid of having said too much. But the other fellow didn't seem to be listening. He was already heading to the back, towards the parlor.

"Wait there, fellow! I didn't catch your name!" Solomon called after him.

"Peter!" the tall guy called back.

_Peter._ Grandpa Mutou thought to himself. _Well, like it or not Peter, I highly doubt you are a friend of Yugi's. My boy has been mourning the loss of the Pharaoh, his other half, for three years now. He doesn't have the strength to keep in close contact with his other friends. I doubt he would make a new one so quickly. Let us see what you say to the police when they show up, eh, sonny boy?_

Having made his mind up, Solomon Mutou picked up the phone, with the intent of calling the police. He was too focused on thinking up what to say to them that he never even heard the boy sneak up behind him. He felt the prick of the needle far too late, and in seconds had collapsed to the floor, knocked unconscious.

* * *

><p>Resting his elbows on his knees, Yugi looked mournfully out at the river in front of him. It had been three years since Atem left. What pained him even more was knowing that the moment he entered that circle of light, Atem had died. He vanished back into the past, back 5,000 years. And Yugi knew that immortality only existed in fiction novels and fantasy movies. He knew that Atem, his best friend, his other half, was dead.<p>

Tears fell from violet eyes, and landed on his gray jeans. He had long since graduated high school, and had his "growth spurt." Even with the extra height, he still only came up to Tèa's shoulders. Joey and Tristan had each gotten theirs, with Joey maxing out at six feet and four inches, Tristan only a hair shorter. Tèa had stayed relatively the same height, having her growth spurt a few years before the boys. But at least now, no one was going to make fun of him anymore.

_If Atem was here, we'd be almost the same height. Maybe he'd be only an inch taller than me, _Yugi thought to himself.

He sat on the rocks by the river bank a few more minutes, allowing himself a few more tears for his fallen friend. Over the course of those three years, Yugi had contemplated giving up all together. The pain was unbearable. But his friends had been there for him, day in and day out. They had brought soup, casseroles and Joey had even made him a traditional Japanese funeral meal known as _otoki [3]_. But Yugi couldn't bring himself to eat it. Eventually, he stopped talking to his friends and they no longer sought him out. They had moved on, why couldn't he?

When his friends left, Yugi couldn't handle it anymore. Over the course of several months, he had been in and out of the hospital, having made several attempts to take his own life. He wanted to see Atem _so badly_. He thought if he ended his life that he would get his wish. But when Tèa had shown up during his last visit, when he had slit his wrists, and told him how much she loved him and how much he was hurting not only himself but her too, Yugi knew he had to continue living. Even if it meant hurting for the rest of his life.

When he was released, Yugi was prescribed Vicodin. Within weeks, he was addicted. He even went to _other _doctors and got them to give him a script for them.

And that is where he had been walking home from, before sitting down on the rocks to cry. He had a script for Vicodin in his pocket, and was waiting to the pharmacy across the street to open.

Looking at his watch, he saw that it was a quarter past nine in the morning. They should be open now. He stood up, brushing pebbles and dust from his behind and grabbed his gray sweater. It was September twenty-seventh, so it wasn't too cold, but it wasn't exactly warm either.

The pharmacy bell rang above his head, and the pretty woman behind the desk smiled at him. The place smelled sterile, the tiles on the floor too clean, and the shelves carrying over-the-counter medications for all ailments seemed to be gathering dust. It was the reason Yugi came all the way out here. It was on the other side of town, in the ghetto part of Domino.

"Hello," she said, her voice high-pitched and sugary sweet. "What can I do for you today?"

Yugi pulled his script and health insurance card from his pocket. "Just here for a refill."

The pharmacist took the paper from him, and Yugi noted that her nails were neatly manicured, and painted a blood red. She typed his information into the computer in front of her, frequently hitting the backspace button as the other keys were sticky and uncooperative. Two minutes later, his information entered in the computer, he was told, "Give me a 'bout ten minutes, honey. I'll whip 'em up lickety-split." and was directed to sit in one of the chairs near the entrance.

Even though he knew his other friends would never be caught dead "in the ghetto" as Joey eloquently phrased it, the waiting killed Yugi. He was always afraid of being spotted, or having one of them walk in and see him sitting there waiting for his drug habit to be filled and paid for.

Finally, the pharmacist had filled his prescription and he pulled out his bank card to pay.

"That'll be... lets see... thirteen dollars and seventy-three cents, hon." Yugi indicated his bank card.

"Debit? All right. Whenever you're ready, dear."

A few seconds later, the transaction was complete. Yugi grabbed up his pills, said goodbye to the overly-friendly pharmacist and began his long trek home. On the way he stopped at a corner store to grab a bottle of water, and some cigarettes. He'd started smoking not too long after Atem left. He wasn't the only one of the group to start, either. Joey was occasionally seen lighting one up. Sometimes the two had even smoked a joint together, but weed wasn't Yugi's thing. Pills were.

He stopped for a moment to open his water and gulp some down before opening said pills and popping two into his mouth. With a swig of water, they made their way down to his stomach and soon, into his system. It didn't take long for the Vicodin to start working, and Yugi always got an amazing high off them.

He put his pills into his jacket and threw the paper bag into the nearest trash can. Then he continued his walk home.

When he got there, he noticed that the sign on the door stated that the store was closed. Yugi frowned, knowing that it should _not_ be closed. They had just received a large shipment of new and rare cards. Still after all these years, Pegasus was desperate to keep the game alive. Even Kaiba was no longer announcing new tournaments every week.

He pushed on the door to discover that it was locked. Concerned, Yugi pulled his key from his pocket, and stuck it in the keyhole.

All of a sudden, a dark shadow was hovering over him. Yugi couldn't see his attacker, but felt the sting of a syringe pierce the back of his neck. Darkness overtook him, and he collapsed to the ground.

* * *

><p>A dull gray haze hung over the entire room as Joey Wheeler took another drag on his cigarette. He blew the smoke out, forming a small ring. He was laying in his bed, staring at the ceiling, waiting for his father to unlock his door.<p>

He was being punished again. For what, he didn't know. There was never an actual reason as to why his dad beat him and locked him in his room. Joey supposed that he really ought to be happy. It was the only time his dad ever acknowledged him.

There were a few loud bangs from downstairs, then thumps coming up the stairs. Joey looked at his watch. He'd been in here for about six hours. Maybe his dad was finally going to let him out. The blonde teen quickly snuffed out his cigarette into an ashtray and shoved it under the bed, along with the rest of his smokes and his lighter. Then he sat up on his bed and awaited the arrival of Mr. John Wheeler.

There was a thud on his door, followed by drunken grumbling. The sound of the hook lock being undone was heard and the door swung open, violently colliding with the wall. Joey was used to it, so there was hardly a flinch from him.

His father stood in the doorway, swaying as if he was a blade of grass in a light breeze. He had on a stained white wifebeater, black boxers and gray socks. His greasy blonde hair stuck up in all directions, and he looked as if he had just woken up. Which is probably why Joey had spent six hours in his room, chain-smoking.

"'re ya read-y to come out now?" His father slurred. Joey nodded.

"You gon be good boy? Not – hic... 'urt me like you did today?" Joey shook his head. "No, dad. I promise."

John nodded. He stood there a few seconds more, blinking. Then he turned and stumbled down the hall to his own room, where no doubt he would pass out for the rest of the night.

Joey sighed. He grabbed his favorite green jacket, his smokes and lighter and pulled his shoes on. He tiptoed down the hall to his dad's room, and listened. A loud snoring came from within.

_Good._ Joey thought. _Time to head out now._

Joey quietly descended the carpeted stairs. He grabbed his key by the front door, and snuck out, locking the door behind him. A beat up silver Buick stood in the driveway, Joey's gift to himself for graduating high school. Making his way towards his car, he pressed the "unlock" button and heard the click of the doors opening.

Heaving open this creaking door, Joey settled himself in the driver's seat. Within seconds, the car was running and Joey was backing up out of the driveway. He turned left at the end of his street, heading for the car dealership where he and Tristan worked. Even though he was about two hours late.

Searching the glovebox where he kept all his valuables, he pulled out his phone. He was very lucky to still have it after his dad found it. He had been so angry, thinking that Joey had stolen money from him to buy it. He had thrown the phone, but thankfully it hadn't broke. After that, everything Joey wanted to keep safe, he kept it in the glovebox.

He was equally lucky to have a boss who knew his situation.

"Jesus, Wheeler. Six hours? You know, I really ought to call Child Protective Services..." Hunnam said, his Irish accent thick with anger. Not at Joey, but towards his abusive dad.

Joey rolled his eyes. "Hunnam, please. I'm hardly a fucking child. CAS can't do shit. Besides, it's over now and I'm on my way."

A heavy sigh on the other line. "Well, the police would be able to do some'fin." Stubborn old goat.

"Hunnam..."

"Yeah, yeah. I know. Just get 'ere. You can make up the two hours on Sat-ah-day, aw'right?"

"Yeah, okay. See you in a few." Joey replied, grateful for having Hunnam as a boss. Anyone else would have just fired him, and called the police. And that would have been a fucking shitshow.

Frank Hunnam was a nice guy. His heart was definitely in the right place. But he just didn't understand.

Another heavy sigh. "Yup."

Joey flipped his phone shut and stuffed it back in the glovebox. He turned right at the next intersection, mind wandering to Tristan. No doubt the older teen was worried about him. Joey sighed. He didn't want to talk about what happened. He just wanted to get through his shift, and head home to sleep.

From inside the glovebox, his phone beeped. When the light at the next intersection turned red, and he had come to a full stop, Joey reached over and pulled the compartment open and grabbed his phone. It kept beeping, which meant someone was calling him.

He recognized the number, and a jolt of excitement ran through him. Clearing his throat, he answered the phone and put on his "mature adult" voice.

"Hello? This is Joey Wheeler speaking."

"Hello. This is Sandra Clemmons calling. You applied for a one-bedroom apartment off of Main street. Are you still interested in renting it?"

"Yes! Uh, yes. Yes I am." Joey replied excitedly.

"Ok, the rent each month is going to seven hundred and twenty-five dollars, and the heat and hydro are included in that. What time are you available today to sign some papers for it?"

Joey sat there stunned. A car honked angrily at him and he realized he'd been sitting on a green light. Hastily, he pushed the accelerator before it turned red again.

"Uh, well. I could leave work early today. My boss will let me make it up on Saturday. So, say... seven thirty? Would that be ok for you?"

"Yup, that's perfect. You should bring with you, a check stub showing proof of your income, and some photo I.D. First and last months rent is required, but you don't have to pay it all at once. We can work something out. Any questions?"

"Nope, we are all good."

"Excellent. I will see you at seven-thirty."

After exchanging goodbyes, they hung up and Joey let out of whoop of excitement. He had just gotten his own apartment.

* * *

><p>After closing the deal with another customer, Tristan Taylor anxiously awaited Joey's arrival. He had overheard Hunnam talking with him on the phone, and from the sound of it, he figured Joey's asshole of a father had locked in him in his room again.<p>

_For six whole hours! Damn that jackass!_ Tristan shook his head. Now was not the time to be thinking about it, but he'd be grilling Joey on it when he got here.

The sound of the storefront doors opening made its way to Tristan's ears. It was either another customer looking for an affordable (aha! Yeah, right...) car or it was Joey. Either way, he was required to go and meet them.

As he neared the entrance, he glanced at the parking lot, looking for Joey's car. And he saw it, parked in his usual spot. Then he saw the blonde himself, looking rather excited.

'Heya, Tristan! How's it hanging?" Joey laughed, giving Tristan a warm smile. The older teen couldn't help but return it.

"Hey buddy. What's up? What are you so happy about?" Joey's grin got wider.

"I, my friend, am the new proud owner of my own fucking apartment." Tristan's eyes grew wide in surprise.

"What? No way! That lady is renting it to you?" After and affirmative nod from the blonde, Tristan laughed and slapped Joey on the back in congratulations. "Awesome! Way to go, buddy!"

"'ey! What's all this noise out 'ere, eh?" Hunnam hollered from his office. When he saw Joey, he began walking towards them.

"'ey, there Wheeler. You aw'right?" Their boss asked gently. Joey nodded.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm ok. The worst of it is over. But, I got some good news to share though."

"Oh? And what's that, eh?"

"I've got my own apartment now."

Hunnam grinned. "Well, right on then. Good for you. Hope it goes well for you. 'ey, if ya need any 'elp moving out your old man's place, you give me call , okay? Especially if the dumb bastard tries to give any ya trouble 'bout it. Alright?"

Joey smiled. "Yeah, will do. Thanks."

"Hey, you know I'll help too." Tristan piped up. Joey laughed.

"Yeah, right."

"What? I will." Tristan chuckled.

"What are you gonna do? Move my lamp from my room to the car? Like you did when we moved Duke into _his_ new place?"

"Hey! For the record, that was a heavy lamp! And it didn't help that I spent the day before at the gym! It was arm day!" Tristan argued playfully, laughing along with Joey as they walked towards the employee break room. Hunnam headed back to his office, shaking his head as they continued their playful banter.

The rest of the day went by quickly, Tristan and Joey having both made at least twelve sales a piece. Hunnam was glad that he had hired both of them. They were good talkers, and that helped them to close deals.

At the entrance to the dealership, Tristan said goodbye and good luck to Joey, who had left early to meet his new landlady.

"You call me when you're ready to start moving stuff in! Hunnam and I will help. I'll try to sucker Duke into helping too. Alright?" Tristan called after Joey, as the blonde settled himself in his car.

"Yep! You will be the first one I call, Tristan! See you later!" With that Joey had his engine running and pulled out of the parking lot.

Tristan, meanwhile, still had half an hour left of his shift. And the next customer was rather irate at the service he was not receiving. Tristan put on his professional face, and strode confidently over to the older man, effectively rescuing the new girl. Hannah, he thought her name was.

"This is the third time I've come in here, and still you will not sell to me! That car isn't worth _that_ much money!"

"Hello, sir. My name is–"

"I couldn't give two _shits_ what your fucking name is! I want my vintage car! But I _refuse_ to pay the ridiculous price laid upon it!"

"Well, perhaps we can make a reasonable deal." The tone in Tristan's voice let the elderly gentleman know he wasn't to be trifled with, and any deal they made was going to final.

The man stared at him a moment, then nodded curtly. He turned and strode over to a vintage T-Bird Convertible. It was red in color, and had a black leather interior. Two white stripes ran parallel to each other from hood to trunk. It even had the original 1965 style of steering wheel and dashboard. And the price Hunnam had placed on it made even Tristan balk at it.

_17,000 dollars!? Jeez, no wonder this guy is so angry about it. I would be too. It's not exactly brand new, so what's he thinking putting that kind of price tag on it? _

Keeping a straight face, Tristan said, "Ok. Let's make a deal."

A half hour later, the gentleman walked out with his vintage T-Bird and Tristan had closed an eleven thousand dollar deal. He felt a bit guilty selling it at that price, but if the customer was happy about then it couldn't have been that bad. Right?

Heading towards the break room, he ran into Hannah. She smiled at him, and Tristan gladly returned it. She had long straight black hair, with emerald green eyes and a tanned complextion. She was tall, but not taller than Tristan. She was curvy, and Tristan couldn't help but discreetly check out her breasts.

"Hey. Thanks for helping me out there. He just walked in and started screaming and hollering. I had no idea what to do. I almost cried."

Tristan nodded, gathering up his coat and work bag. "Yeah, you get people like that in here quite a bit. They are some crazy people. You just gotta let it go, you know? Not let it get to you. Just smile and nod. It makes them even more pissed off." Hannah laughed.

Tristan figured it was a good a time as any. So he went for it.

"Hey, uh. Hannah, is it?" When she nodded, he continued. "Do you have someone coming to pick you up? Or do you need a lift?"

"Yeah, my girl friend is coming to pick me up. But thanks though."

Tristan's face fell a little. "Oh, okay. Yeah, no problem. Always happy to lend a hand if one is needed." Hannah smiled to show that she appreciated it.

After collecting their things, they called to Hunnam to let him know that they were leaving. He was on the phone and merely waved at them. Standing outside in the slight chill that had fallen, Tristan offered to wait with her.

"You know, just if you feel uncomfortable waiting by yourself in the dark." He hoped that he didn't sound like he was coming on too strong.

Hannah smiled. "Yeah, sure. I'd like that."

They waited for about ten minutes before a dark sedan pulled up in front of the dealership entrance. A woman with a shock of short, bright red hair got out of the front seat and strode over to where Tristan and Hannah were standing, shivering.

"Hey, babe." The newcomer said, with a rather husky voice. She leaned in and gave Hannah a chaste kiss on her lips, and Tristan understood when Hannah said her "girl friend" was picking her up.

She really meant _girlfriend._

"Uh, well! I best be off. I'll see you tomorrow Hannah. And hello, Hannah's _girlfriend._ Nice to meet you. I'm Tristan. I work with your _girlfriend._ She's a nice girl." Tristan realized he was babbling like a baboon, and remembered he had somewhere to go. He turned and nearly dashed to his car. Hannah shouted her goodbye at his retreating back. Tristan waved over his shoulder.

Once settled into the driver's seat, and sure that Hannah and her girlfriend were gone, he let his head drop, smacking it against the wheel.

"Aww man.. Why do all the hot girls gotta be gay?"

* * *

><p>Well, aw'right! XD<p>

This was one helluva long chapter. 4501 words, to be exact. I wanted to include Tèa in this one, and the conclusion to Joey's apartment dilemma, but it's too long now as it is. So it will have to wait for the next chapter. I hope everyone enjoyed this one, I started it and didn't stop until about two hours later.

**RATE REVIEW FAVORITE AND FOLLOW MY PRECIOUS KIDDIES. xD** See you all in the next chapter!


	3. Chapter 3 The Final Step

**Title:** The Shaman and the International Spy

**Pairing(s)**: **Serfshipping** (Atem x Joey)

**Puppyshipping **(Seto x Joey)

**Rivalshipping** (Seto x Yugi)

**Perservereshipping **(Duke x Tèa)

**Warning(s):** Swearing/Foul Language

Homo/Heterosexual Sexual Relations

* * *

><p>[Chapter 3] [The Final Step]<p>

After having graduated from Domino High, Tèa Gardner had gone on to a community college for the arts. Her dream was to go to New York to study dance and she was almost to her goal. She had graduated from college with A's and had even made it on the college's honour roll. The day after the graduation ceremony, she had booked a flight to New York. But she had never made it. Two days before she was scheduled to leave, she caught wind of Yugi's hospitalization. It was his fifth time being admitted and she knew what for.

Tèa was upset at the Pharaoh's passing too, but Yugi was absolutely destroyed. He had threatened to take his own life, but until the first time he had tried Tèa had never believed him. So she had cancelled her flight and had gone to see him. She told him how much he was hurting his friends, that they missed Atem too. She confessed how much she loved him, and begged him to stop. To live. At first, Yugi resisted and refused to listen, screaming at her to leave until one of the nurses threatened to have security forcefully remove her from the room.

_****FLASHBACK****_

After Yugi's release from the hospital a week later, he sought Tèa out. He apologized for being so selfish, and for sending her away. He vowed to continue living, for his friends. For her.

"Yugi, thank you. I love you, I do. I'm hurting too. We all are." Tèa said, laying a hand on Yugi`s shoulder. Yugi nodded his head, smiling sadly.

"Tèa, you say you love me, but I know you don't mean it."

Tèa shook her head, confused. "What do you –"

"I know about Duke."

Tèa stared at Yugi for a moment, before her shoulders drooped and tears welled up in her eyes.

A week after Atem had gone back to his own time in Ancient Egypt, Tèa and Duke Devlin had hooked up. It was only supposed to be a one-time thing, and Yugi wasn't supposed to know about it. But after that night they had kept coming back together until they couldn't deny it any longer and declared themselves in a relationship. With Yugi having withdrawn from his friends, he had no way of knowing about it. And with Tèa being busy with college and Duke in Tokyo attempting to franchise his game shop, they had not had time to call and tell him.

"Yugi, I... I'm so sorry. We meant to tell you, we did. We just got so busy with other stuff. I-I'm sorry."

Yugi nodded sadly. "How long?"

Tèa hesitated a moment before saying, "Three years."

Yugi's eyes widened and flushed bright red with rage. "What!? Three years!? Ever since...?"

Tèa nodded her head, her sadness melting away into anger.

Yugi couldn't believe what he was hearing. Three years. They'd gotten together right after Atem...

Yugi couldn't help himself.

"Three years you've been _fucking_ Dice-Boy, and you didn't think to at least pick up the phone and tell me!? Even after you knew how long I'd been in love with you!? Are you that heartless!?" Yugi shouted, not caring if his neighbors heard them and called the police.

"The door swings both ways, Yugi! You could've picked up that phone and called us! You have mine and Duke's numbers in your phone!"

Yugi scoffed angrily, whirling around to face the counter of the game shop. "Yeah, whatever. Do Joey and Tristan know about it? Did they hook you guys up?"

Tèa sighed, frustration seeping into her very bones. She knew that if she told Yugi that Joey himself had urged them to get together, it would tear Yugi apart. So she lied.

"Yes, they know. No, they didn't 'hook us up.' Duke and I found each other on our own. And besides, it's none of your business anyways!" She felt bad for lying to Yugi, but her anger let her not care.

Yugi was speechless. He knew that what he was saying was wrong, and that Tèa was right; none of it was his business, but it still hurt.

Yugi needed some time by himself to think. He told Tèa so, and she didn't say anything as she whirled around and walked out of the game shop. Nor did she look back.

_****END FLASHBACK****_

Sitting in a brightly lit café four weeks later, Tèa found herself thinking about the encounter. They had been best friends for so long, Tèa couldn't imagine life without him had she not met him as a little girl. She had felt guilty about the way he had found out; she should have found time to call him. But with college requiring most of her time, and Duke getting the rest, she really was busy. Not to mention her giddiness at finally having a relationship, one where she could totally be herself. Duke truly loved her, and she loved Duke. What they did together was none of Yugi's business.

"More coffee hun?" Tèalooked up at the rather homely waitress offering to refill her cup with a bored expression on her face.

Tèa shook her head. "No thank you. That's it for me. I'm heading out anyways." The waitress shrugged rudely and moved on to the next table where a man sat by himself, hidden in a dark green cloak sipping on a cup of coffee.

"Refill?" Tèa heard her say. The man shook his head and waved her away with out a word. The waitress scoffed and moved on. Tèa studied him for a moment, fascinated that someone could be so rude. Shaking her head, she stood up grabbing her bag and paid for her coffee. She gave one last look at the hooded man before she left and was startled to find that he was staring at her. Chestnut brown eyes seemed to pierce her to her very soul, and for a moment she was breathless. Quickly Tèa broke eye contact and hurried out of the store and into her car. She put it in drive and headed for home.

* * *

><p>"M-Mr. Kaiba! Please! Give me another chance!"<p>

"I don't believe in second chances. Get out before I have security drag you out by your ears." Seto Kaiba sat calmly behind his large mahogany desk at the top of KaibaCorp tower, and stared coldly down at the man he was firing. He was a shrew of a man, with glasses set askew on his face, brown hair that hung limply in his face and muddy brown eyes. Freckles dotted his cheeks along with a bad case of acne that Kaiba thought forty-something adults had grown out of.

He was on his knees begging for Kaiba not to fire him, it was an "honest mistake." Tch. An honest mistake that had almost cost KaibaCorp three billion dollars. He wasn't going to let that slide.

Kaiba reached over to the unique phone on the left of his desk and pressed the button that summoned security. "I've called security. You've got about... two minutes to vacate the building on your own..." Kaiba hadn't even finished his threat before the fool dashed out of the office and down the hall. Kaiba waited a moment, and sure enough he heard the horrified squeak that told him the man hadn't run fast enough before encountering security. He smiled cruelly, before turning back to the paperwork on his desk. Several papers were for his lawyers, after one of his former employees tried to sue Kaiba for wrongful dismissal. They had good lawyers, but Kaiba had better. The rest were for requests for a new program to be installed to keep up with the amount of orders for the Duel Disks. Domino City and the surrounding cities might be finished with Duel Monsters, but the rest of the world sure as hell weren't. They were receiving so many requests for the damn Disks that they ended up overloading Kaiba's original program. So he began working on an update to allow more orders through.

He signed them all in a matter of minutes, and sat back in his chair and closed his eyes. He enjoyed the peace and quiet before his phone rang rather obnoxiously, demanding his attention. He sighed tiredly.

Sitting up, he reached for his phone and pressed the "speaker phone" option. "What is it?"

His personal butler in his manor answered. "Hello, Mr. Kaiba. I've a letter here for you that's been addressed to the manor itself and not your office. Would you like me to send it over to you?"

Kaiba sighed. "Yes, send it over." He hung up before Mansard could say anything else. Then he sat back and closed his eyes again and waited for the letter, seeing he had nothing better to do.

Twelve minutes later, there was a knock on his office door. During the twelve minutes since the phone call, Kaiba had actually fallen asleep. He was startled awake by the insistent knocking and commanded, "Come in already."

The door opened and Roland entered the room carrying the letter in his hands. He placed it on his desk without a word and left. Kaiba pulled open a drawer and retrieved his silver letter opener.

Once he had the letter open and the thick paper in his hands he began reading.

_Dear Seto Kaiba,_

_My name is Ishizu Ishtar. I'm sure you remember me from your Battle City tournament. I had given you Obelisk the Tormenter. I've heard all about your exploits since then. How you helped to defeat Dartz from destroying the world, and helped the Pharaoh return to Ancient Egypt. I also understand that you've been having trouble sleeping lately._

A sharp intake of breath was Kaiba's response. _How did she know?_ Kaiba thought desperately. Maybe Mokuba had told her, but Mokuba never mentioned that he was still in contact with this woman. He read on.

_You're probably wondering how I know. I know, because I've seen it with my Millennium Necklace. And my Millennium Necklace is never wrong. I know why you've been tired of late. If you wish to know more about it, please come to the museum tomorrow at twelve o'clock. I'll be waiting._

_Signed, _

_**Ishizu Ishtar**_

Her fancy signature took up what was left of the page, like she didn't want to waste a piece of paper for so small a letter.

_Meet me at the museum tomorrow at twelve o'clock_. _I'll be waiting._

That seemed chillingly familiar, taking Kaiba back to before the Battle City tournament. She had called him down to the museum to tell a tall tale, then gave him one of the strongest cards he had ever held in his hands. Obelisk the Tormentor. Then, of course, he had lost it to Yugi, who now held all three of the God Cards.

"Tch. I wonder what tall tale she'll tell tomorrow. If I even decide to go. I doubt it. I'm too busy to be making a trip to the museum." And with that he stared expectantly down at his desk that had been laden with papers just twenty minutes ago, and was now empty. He pressed the button on his phone to call his secretary.

"Yes Mr. Kaiba, sir?" came the immediate response.

"Do I have anything scheduled for today or tomorrow?" Kaiba asked, tucking Ishizu's note back in it's envelope.

"No Mr. Kaiba. You're completely free today and tomorrow."

"Dang it." Kaiba muttered under his breath as he hung up. "Guess I'm going after all."

Just then, his office door opened up and his little brother Mokuba walked in. He was carrying some papers in his hand, and for a moment Kaiba was excited. Maybe he didn't have to go at all now...

But he soon saw that they were papers from Mokuba's sketchbook. He had recently taken up drawing and was getting pretty good. He walked up to the desk and held one out to Kaiba.

"Here Seto, I drew this for you. I hope you like it." When Kaiba took the paper and looked, his heart filled with immense joy and pride. Mokuba had drawn him, in amazing detail, his Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon. Kaiba actually, genuinely smiled at it.

"Wow, Mokuba. That it awesome. Thank you. I am going to frame this and put it on my wall, okay?" He hated speaking like this to him, but it was necessary.

About two years ago, Kaiba had told Mokuba to meet him at Mokuba's favorite restaurant for his birthday. Mokie was turning fourteen, and Kaiba wanted to celebrate for once. After dinner was over the two of them left the restaurant with full bellies, having attended during a buffet. Of course people had seen them and snapped several pictures. The two CEO's of KaibaCorp were dining in a restaurant like normal people. Photo-worthy, he supposed.

They started crossing the street when they heard frantic honking on their right. A truck was skidding to a stop but it was still moving too fast to avoid the brothers. Kaiba had suffered from several broken ribs, a broken arm, a ruptured spleen, a cracked skull and deep lacerations to his body and face. But Mokuba had suffered worse. Because he was still so little in stature, almost every bone was broken, and he suffered severe brain damage. He had slipped into a coma for a six weeks and because of the damage to his brain it halted his mental growth and sent it spiraling backwards. Even though Mokuba was sixteen physically, mentally he became nine. And he would always remain so.

Mokuba smiled brightly at Kaiba's words. Before the accident he could never draw like this, but doctor's told Kaiba that it was normal for victims like Mokuba to suddenly pick up new skills. Sometimes people who never knew how to speak Spanish woke up from comas completely fluent in the language. But he had to consider himself lucky, they said. Some never woke up at all.

"Thanks Seto. I made it just for you! Can we go for a walk tomorrow? I wanna see the museum, the park, the ice cream stand..." Mokuba listed a few more places he wanted to "visit" while Kaiba listened.

"Sure, why not. I have to see someone at the museum anyways." Kaiba replied, making up his mind right there to go see Ishizu.

"Yay!" Mokuba cheered. He turned and ran out of the office yelling behind him, "I'll go get stuff ready for tomorrow!" Kaiba nodded absently.

_Oh, Mokie. I wish the truck had never hit us. I wish the bastard had been paying better attention. I hope he is happy in his new home. He is never leaving it._

While Kaiba was recuperating in the hospital, he called his lawyers and pressed charges against the truck driver. He was sentenced to spend fifteen years in prison because of the severe damage done to Mokuba. And Kaiba would make sure that he would never leave.

Sighing, Kaiba stood up from his chair and left the office. On his way out he told his secretary not to make any appointments for the rest of today and tomorrow. She nodded, and Kaiba left the building. He summoned a limo for him and Mokuba and they headed home.

* * *

><p><strong>Well there ya go. Chapter 3. It was so difficult to write, I kept putting it off because I didn't know what to write. Major writers block over here. Ugh. I promise the action will be starting soon. Rate, review, favorite, the usual. Thanks kiddies! (And thank you for your previous reviews! They were really kind! 3)<strong>


	4. Chapter 4 Blood of his Kin

**Title**: The Shaman and the International Spy

**Pairing(s)**: **Serfshipping **(Atem x Joey)

**Puppyshipping **(Seto x Joey)

**Rivalshipping** (Seto x Yugi)

**Perservereshipping** (Duke x Tèa)

**Warning(s)**: Swearing/Foul Language

Homo/Heterosexual Sexual Relations

**TRIGGER WARNINGS!: ALCOHOL ABUSE AND TORTURE ARE MENTIONED AND EXPLICITLY EXPLAINED IN THIS CHAPTER! TURN BACK NOW IF THEY SERIOUSLY BOTHER YOU OR ARE YOUR PARTICULAR TRIGGERS!**

**A/N:** I forgot this is my last few chapters, but here goes: **I DO NOT OWN **_**YU-GI-OH!**_** OR ANY OF ITS KNOWN AFFILIATES, OR CHARACTERS! THEY ALL BELONG TO KAZUKI TAKAHASHI AND CO. HOWEVER, I DO OWN **_**PETER MURAN**_** AND IF YOU WISH TO USE HIM IN YOUR OWN STORY, THEN JUST SEND ME A PM.**

Whew! Now that that's done, on with the story!

* * *

><p>[Chapter 4] [Blood of his Kin]<p>

It was dark. So very dark. He was swimming in darkness. He was floating lazily through deep darkness without a care in the world. He was free. The feeling was exhilarating, the feeling of freedom. He wanted to float around forever, never come down from his high. Here, his friends didn't leave him, and no one judged him. He was free.

There was a rumbling coming from far away to his left, a soft rumbling. He almost didn't take notice of it. But it began to get louder and louder until Yugi thought he was going to become deaf from the noise. Then it abruptly left and silence reigned in the void again. But he still felt calm. Slowly, he began to make his way toward where the noise had come from, and the closer he got the more colours he began to see.

Streaks of red, yellow, orange, blue and green swam in front of his eyes, creating a kaleidoscope of colour. Then the colours began to take shape.

_They're leaves, _Yugi saw. _I'm seeing leaves._

Amongst the leaves was a dark blueish-green blob. His eyes were beginning to adjust and the picture became clearer. Then all at once it hit him. He remembered everything. Refilling his script, heading home and finding the game shop was locked when it shouldn't have been, and then the pinprick of a syringe in his neck, followed by the darkness he was swimming in just a few moments ago.

His eyes snapped open to look his kidnapper in the face. Brown eyes framed by dark brown hair stared back at him. His captor had light brown-coloured skin with sharp, angular features. Egyptian features . . .

Yugi tried to move away only to find that his hands and feet were bound, and there was a gag in his mouth. Regardless of the gag, Yugi screamed for help. He struggled to escape his bindings and his captor backhanded him. Yugi saw stars for a moment and he lay still. He stared wide-eyed at the man standing above him, waiting for him to speak. He didn't. Instead he turned and began fiddling with a large machine that looked to Yugi a lot like a generator, which would explain the rumbling sound he'd heard while floating around in the darkness.

Yugi began to take in his surroundings to try and figure out where he was and how to escape. The only light illuminating the area came from a small lantern by his captor's feet and was being used to peer into the generators mechanisms. But from what he could see, Yugi was in a tomb. The leaves he'd seen earlier were only part of the Void's hallucination. There were carvings and paintings on the walls to suggest that they were somewhere in Egypt. Across the room he saw the corner of a sarcophagus laying flat on the ground. He couldn't see much else due to the intense darkness pressing down on them. Anxiety flared up in Yugi`s chest and it became difficult to breathe. He gasped for air but the gag limited how much he could take in.

The kidnapper heard Yugi gasping for air and turned, irritation building. He calmly strode over and roughly yanked the gag from the boy's mouth. Yugi gulped down air gratefully and once he had enough in his lungs he began screaming for help. His captor stomped down harshly on Yugi's chest, effectively quieting him. Yugi coughed for several minutes before the sobbing began.

"What do you want from me!? Why are you doing this!?" He shouted, tears streaming down his face. His captor made mocking noises at him in response.

"What are you, five?" Was Yugi's retort, which earned him a kick in his sides. Yugi grunted and lay still, trying to recapture his breath. Once his breathing was even, he turned his head to stare at the man struggling to fix the generator.

"Who are you? And what do you want with me?" Yugi shook violently, and the fear in his voice made it crack awkwardly.

There was a clang that echoed off the walls as he dropped his wrench in irritation. Then he stood up and dusted his hands off, turning to face Yugi. Yugi braced himself for another kick, but thankfully it didn't come. Instead he got an actual response.

"You are Yugi Mutou, yes?" He continued when Yugi nodded his head. "Then you are the direct descendant of the greatest king in all of Egypt.".

Yugi's eyes widened when he figured out whom he was talking about. His captor nodded.

"Yes, I'm talking about Atem. He used to be the 'Nameless Pharaoh.' But you helped him recover his memories and ultimately, his true name, didn't you? Oh, yes. I know all about you, Yugi Mutou. Everything." At this he pulled out a knife and held it to Yugi's cheek, the blade digging in but not piercing his flesh. Yugi shuddered, knowing that this man had the means, and definitely the reason to kill him.

"But, who are you? And how do you know so much about me and Atem?" Yugi demanded, his voice echoing off the walls.

"My name . . . is Peter. Peter Muran."

Yugi's eyes widened at the familiar name. "So that means..?"

The man named Peter nodded vehemently. "Yes. I am a descendant of the great vizier to the Pharaoh Atem. Shimon Muran. Shimon wrote many manuscripts regarding your precious Pharaoh. All of them described just how courageous he was, how humble he was." He paused for dramatic effect, the evil witch. He continued softly, "How beautiful. He compared the Pharaoh's beauty with that of the sun, how he rivaled its morning light. He also explained that he was a kind Pharaoh, compassionate. It was through these manuscripts and stories passed down by my family that I fell in love with him. At first they were just daydreams, fantasies. Then I met Him. He showed me a few scrolls that were meant to be locked away. One of them explained how to bring someone back from the dead, give them back their bodies and let them breathe new life."

As he talked, Peter began circling around Yugi, his eyes appeared unseeing. He was too focused and excited to finally tell his story. Yugi took that time to try and wiggle his way out of his bindings.

"Of course," Peter continued, completely oblivious to Yugi's squirming and soft grunting. "I realized at once that daydreams would become reality. I could have the Pharaoh, actually _feel_ him in my arms. I wondered what he would sound like whispering my name in the middle of the night, while he begged me to hold him tighter."

Yugi groaned in disgust. How dare he think of his friend like that? But he didn't have time to dwell on it. He was almost free from his bindings. If he could just–

A boot slammed down on Yugi's stomach, knocking the wind out of him and sending jolts of white-hot agony all through his body. He yelled in pain and curled up in on himself to try to stem the pain in his abdomen. Hot tears ran freely down his face and a sob ripped through his chest as another boot connected with his lower back, sending him sliding forwards a few feet. He felt his shirt riding up in the back, now incredibly filthy, no doubt.

"Just _what_ do you think you're trying to do? Do you really think you can escape?! No!" Peter screamed, his voice bouncing crazily off the walls of the tomb. He brought his foot down on Yugi's right arm, and reveled in the long scream of pain and the sickening crunch as it broke. Yugi rolled away onto his other side, cradling his broken arm as best as he could with his bindings still in place.

Peter had enough. It was time to end this. He glanced at his watch and saw it was two minutes to midnight. He would have to do this in the dark, seeing as how he couldn't get the stupid generator working in time. He grabbed the screaming teen and dragged him in front of the sarcophagus. As a last-minute thought he grabbed the Coleman lantern he'd been using and placed it beside him. It illuminated the sarcophagus, but the corners of the tomb were still shrouded in shadows.

Peter drew his knife, excitement filling his veins like an adrenaline rush. The Pharaoh was only minutes away from being in his arms. Yugi saw before him on the coffin a bowl filled with what looked like ground seeds, and five-millennia-old flesh. His gorge rose when he realized that it had to be Atem's.

_They must be essential to the ritual. If only I could do something about them,_ Yugi thought, desperate for a distraction and a way to stop Peter from resurrecting Atem.

_But, do I really want to? I want to see him again. No! I have to stop it!_ Yugi battled with himself a few more seconds before making his mind up.

Just as Peter was placing the blade of his knife to Yugi's throat, the young teen suddenly lurched forwards and upset the bowl, spilling its contents everywhere.

Peter screamed in despair as the fine powder flew everywhere and the flesh slid under the coffin, disappearing into the darkness. In anger Peter threw Yugi aside and scrambled to pick up the dust with his fingers and tried to recover the piece of the Pharaoh's skin in vain. Yugi took this opportunity to finally escape. Holding on to his broken arm, he snatched up the Coleman lantern and quickly found the stairs out of the tomb. Soon he was breathing fresh air and running toward twinkling lights in the distance as fast as his legs could carry him.

* * *

><p>When Joey had arrived at the apartment to sign the papers claiming that he was the new tenant, he was surprised to see Ishizu there with her brother Marik.<p>

"Hey Marik. Ishizu. What's up? What are you guys doing down here?" Joey asked as he approached them in front of the apartment building. The Egyptian siblings nodded in turn at him before Ishizu spoke.

"I would like to extend an invitation to meet me at the museum tomorrow. You and all your friends. There is something that we need to discuss." She blinked at him, blue eyes surveying his face to gauge his reaction to her news. Joey's eyebrows rose in question.

"Uh... Sure. I can let everybody know. What time?"

"Noon." Marik answered for his sister, earning him a stern look which he just grinned at.

Joey nodded. "And what is it that we have to discuss?"

Ishizu shook her head. "Not here. Wait until the museum. I will explain everything there."

"Joseph Wheeler?" A tinkling voice behind them inquired.

They turned to see Sandra Clemmons, the woman Joey was supposed to meet standing in front of the lobby doors. She had one foot still inside to hold the doors open.

Joey raised a hand briefly before stating dumbly, "Uh. That's me." He turned to Ishizu and Marik.

"Hey, thanks. It was nice to see you. I guess we'll see each other again tomorrow, right?" The two of them nodded with Marik smiling at him. Joey smiled back and waved goodbye.

The signing of the apartment went splendidly. He was the proud owner of his own place, and one step closer to finally being free of his abusive father. It was a wonderful feeling. Euphoric, almost.

As he stood outside the apartment building he was to be residing in soon, a knot of worry and anxiety formed in his belly. Just how was he gonna break it to his father. Loathe as he was to admit it, but his father needed him. Otherwise the old man would never eat, would never be able to wash his own clothes, would even forget to go to the bathroom because he was paralyzed drunk. Was he really just going to abandon his father like that?

Joey shook his head as he walked to his car. Yes. He had to. He couldn't live with his father anymore. He didn't think he'd survive the beatings for very much longer.

As he drove home, he took several calming breaths and thought of what to say to his father. If John was even awake. Seeing as how it was eight in the evening, probably not.

As his house came into view he was disappointed to see his fathers' bedroom lights still on. But that didn't mean anything. He could have forgotten to turn the lights out before going to sleep.

Which would mean that he was drunk again.

Joey sighed. What a hand of cards life had dealt him.

After parking his car in the pitiful garage (Joey couldn't wait for the parking garage under his new apartment) he walked solemnly up his front porch steps and into his house.

The first thing he noticed immediately was the deafening silence. All the lights had been turned on, but there was nary a sound. There wasn't even the telltale snoring of his father passed out in his bed. Just silence.

Suspicious, Joey crept up to his room silently. The damn stairs creaked to high heaven, and he was sure that if his whole neighborhood heard them then his father _definitely_ heard them. But there was still no sound.

Wait.

Was that–?

Joey was sure of it. _Crying._ Someone was in his bedroom _crying._ It was a deep rumble filled with decades of heartache and misfortune, broken by an occasional sniffle. Joey was sure it was his father, too.

He slowly opened his bedroom door to reveal that it was indeed his father, sitting on his bed crying. He was holding something in his hands. Lightly stepping closer, Joey could see that there were old photographs of him and Serenity as children, of all of them in family photographs. There was a picture in there that was of just his parents, looking incredibly happy together, with Joeys' mothers' belly round and full of Joey himself.

Hearing footsteps behind him, John Wheeler slowly turned around to peer at his son. His brown eyes were bloodshot and tear-filled. Tear tracks trailed down his once-handsome face, now flushed a bright red. But one thing Joey noticed was that his father was _not drunk._

There was silence as the two of them just stared at each other. Finally, John spoke.

"I remember... taking some of these photos. I was always the man behind the camera. You guys... you were fun to photograph. You, especially. Always... hamming it up for the camera." John took a moment to wipe his eyes on his sleeve and sniffling. He offered a weak smile. "You were never camera shy. Your sister though... Serenity didn't really like it when I took pictures of her. But then you would jump in, and make her smile..."

John hung his head as the sobs began again. Joey watched and listened, tears glistening his eyes as well. A few fell and he quickly wiped them away, sniffling.

"I ruined this family. All this... the... booze... the women... All of it. I did this. It's my fault, Joey. I'm so sorry."

"Papi..." _[1] _Joey's throat closed up, preventing him from saying more. But that one word was enough. It had been _years_ since Joey had called him "Papi." John held out his arms and Joey rushed right into them.

They held each other for a moment, sobbing onto each other's shoulders. Finally, they let go of one another. Their eyes were both red and puffy and their noses were running but they were both smiling.

"I'm so sorry, Joey. I ruined our family. I can never fix it..."

"Papi, don't say that. You might not be able to fix our family, to make it be the way it was before, but you can still fix the relationships with your children, with me and Serenity. And you can get yourself help, you know you need it." Joey said desperately. When he noticed that his father didn't understand some of what he said, he said it in his fathers' native tongue.

"_Papi, è possibile ottenere in buona salute. Non più di bere, o donnaiolo. È possibile fissare I rapporti con I vostri figli. Io e Serenity, abbiamo ancora ti amo_." _[2]_

John nodded. "_Sì, voglio. Entrambi amo così tanto. Non posso sopportare di più farti del male. Vedo I lividi e tagli. Vedo come li nasconde. Sono così dispiace_." _[3]_

John's voice cracked as he spoke. He wanted to get himself some professional help. He was going to change... for his children, he _had_ to.

Silence weighed down on them. Joey felt even worse when he realized that his father needed him more than ever. And now he was going to leave him. Might as well tell him now, and get it out of the way.

"Dad?" John looked up. "Yes?"

Joey took a deep breath to calm himself. What he could say right now might break the spell and send his father into a fit of rage.

"I found an apartment for myself. I just got back from signing the papers. I... I thought I should just let you know." Joey hung his head in shame of what he was doing. He knew he was truly abandoning his father, right when he needed him the most. But he needed his own freedom. But, maybe...

"But, there is something that I can do. If you promise, and truly commit to getting professional help for yourself, and you truly, truly stick to it, you can come stay with me. Get out of this death trap of a house. It's only a one bedroom, but we could find a sofa bed. There's enough room in the living room for one... Papi?" Joey noticed that his father's eyes were wet with tears again, but he was smiling a broad smile.

"Yes. I promise. I will... commit to it. I swear. Please..."

Joey nodded. "Ok. Let's get some sleep, ok? When we wake up, I can make you some eggs and bacon. And then I gotta head out. I'm meeting someone at the museum tomorrow. Ok?" Joey patted his fathers' head, like an adult trying to comfort a small child. John nodded again, and groaning he stood up from the bed.

"Can I hold onto the pictures, just for tonight?" He sounded so pitiful that it hurt Joey's heart even more. John held the photographs close to his chest, as if Joey would say no and take them from him.

"Of course you can Papi. _Naturalmente è possibile, papà._" _[4]_

* * *

><p><strong>Well, that was it for this episode. I feel bad for putting Yugi in that kind of situation and for hurting him, but its for the story. THE STORY MUST GO ON! xD And for those of you who don't speak Italian, (neither do I unfortunately. I used Google Translate, so I apologize if the wording is wrong. D:) here are the translations for the above numbered phrases:<strong>

_[1]: The word 'papi' just means 'dad' or 'daddy'. Its not widely known what Joey's ethnicity really is, (we know that he has a New Yorker accent) so I gave him one. I made him have Italian and English on his father's side, and German and French on his mothers' side. I hope everyone is okay with this. If not, well then SORRY. XD_

_[2]: Daddy, you can get yourself healthy. No more drinking, or womanizing. You can fix the relationships with your children. Me and Serenity still love you._

_[3]: Yes, I want to. I love you both so much. I can't bear to hurt you. I see the cut and the bruises. I see you hiding them. I'm so sorry._

_[4]: Of course you can, daddy._


End file.
